Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

16 reviews

turtleofhades's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This book. This book is gonna leave me with nightmares for the next little while.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

pinkalpaca's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse

mlemzor's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

marleens's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

On reread in 2025: this was my first Olde Heuvelt, but having read several more of his books, this one still remains the favorite. Great atmosphere, and so creepy from the get-go. And the second half just gets more and more horrible. Walking around my own house at night was suddenly very scary, I hardly dared enter my bedroom.
———————————
I read this book mostly in broad daylight and I’m glad I did. So creepy! I loved the growing sense of dread throughout the book, the feeling that inevitable horrible things were coming. I also loved the writing. I read it in its original Dutch, and while I rarely read in Dutch, this book is making me want to pick up more Dutch authors as well as more horror.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Death of parent

coleyglasses's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

The concept for this book was fantastic but the ultimate execution was very much lacking, especially in the back half of the book. 
Additionally

Way too much nipple torture and very poorly written female characters

Made for an uncomfortable read at times and not in the good way

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

cryptogay's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Really incredible, very creepy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, and Colonisation